Gaza: Hamas Rejects Netanyahu’s Ceasefire Plan
Israel demanded disarmament of Hamas, but did not promise to end the war
Hamas rejected Israel’s offer of a ceasefire. This was reported by BBC, citing a Palestinian official informed of the talk process.
Israel’s offer came through intermediaries from Egypt and Qatar, in parallel as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued to pound the Gaza Strip, whose population is on the brink of survival after months of attacks, with medical infrastructure destroyed and access to food or even water extremely difficult.
The Israeli plan called for a 45-day ceasefire, suspension of military operations, admission of humanitarian aid, release of ten living hostages, and transfer of the bodies of sixteen dead in exchange for the release of 66 Palestinians serving life sentences, as well as 611 prisoners arrested in Gaza. However, the plan did not call for an end to the war or an Israeli withdrawal, while demanding that Hamas surrender its weapons. Such conditions were deemed unacceptable.
A Palestinian official who spoke to BBC explained that Israel was “just trying to stall for time.” Under the plan signed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 21-year-old Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander was supposed to be released as early as the first day of the truce, but Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the Ezzedine al Qassam brigade, said on Telegram that contact with the group holding him had been lost.
The previous truce expired on March 18; since that day, Israel has continued to actively target Gaza and seize more territory. The bombing has not stopped, and no aid has reached Gaza. This, according to the UN, has led to the worst situation since the beginning of the conflict.
